adminTinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
THE Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) has adopted the use of social media in efforts to prevent and reduce road traffic accidents on the country’s roads and highways, Sunday News has learnt.
TSCZ has set up a WhatsApp platform where members of the public can use their mobile phones to report suspicious activities that may lead to accidents on the roads and highways.
The council’s spokesperson Mr Ernest Muchena told Sunday News last week that the WhatsApp platform allows authorities to respond to the reports and move in to deal with the reported situations before accidents occur.
He said such innovation would go a long way in preventing accidents caused by human error and negligence.
“We now have a WhatsApp number which people can use to report any activity on our roads and highways with the likelihood to cause accidents. For example if one is aboard a bus and the driver is speeding, they may notify us on our WhatsApp number.
“The passenger making the report, will tell us which bus they are travelling in, on which road, heading which direction and we will notify police at various check points along that particular road to reprimand the driver.
“The same with motorists, they can also use the number to report dangerous behaviour of other motorists on the highway and remedial action will be taken against them,” he said.
The WhatsApp number to which members of the public can send their reports to the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe is 0716 000 507
Mr Muchena said since the setting up of the WhatsApp platform at the end of last year, there had been a considerable number of interventions made by traffic police acting on the reports from members of the public.
He added that a considerable number of road acccidents were a result of human error, hence coming up with such strategies that help reduce human contribution to accidents would go a long way in reducing carnage on the country’s roads.
He said a number of other intervention strategies were being employed in efforts to curb road traffic accidents.
Last year the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, launched a pilot project in Matabeleland South Province to put reflective ear-tags on domestic animals owned by people living along the country’s major roads to reduce the number of accidents involving animals.
The reflective ear tags are expected to increase the visibility of animals at night.
Online Reporter